Carrying means



March 23, 1943. H. M. PIKER 2,314,799 4 CARRYING MEANS Filed July 22, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I INVENTOR.

, Hmsznr M. Pmzn S W4 WM March 23!, 1943. I El'; 2,314,799

CARRYING MEANS Filed July 22, 1940 2 Sheats-Sheet 2.

'43 39 8/ 1: K 1 /*1' 2 \W? I z! 3 IN V EN TOR. #68:??? M. PIKER Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNiTED sta OFFICE CARRYING MEANS Herbert M. Piker, Hamilton, Ohio, assignor to The Hamilton Metal Products Company, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 22, 1940, Serial No. 346,774

1 Claim. (Cl. 16-115) In the manufacture of lunch kits, tackle boxes,

display cases and the like, efforts are constantly being made to reduce the manufacturing cost, the number of parts going into those assembled items and the form and configuration of the parts in order to meet competition. One of the chief problems in the manufacture of these and a number of other items is the carrying handle which must be inexpensive in itself and at the same time cornfortable in the hand of the user when in use.

One of the chief objects of this invention is, therefore, the provision of an inexpensive handle for a lunch kit or box, a tackle box, utility box and the like, which is inexpensive to manufacture and readily attachable.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means for easily attaching a handle to a box or the like, which is formed of metal, and in which a minimum number of parts are employed.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a handle including means for cooperating with means supplied by the box with which it is to be used for readily attaching the handle to the box.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a handle formed of a stamping from sheet metal or a casting and in which the handle is complete in itself after said stamping and forming operation and said casting without requiring any further machine operations in order that the handle may be attached to its box.

A still further and specific object of this invention is the provision of a one piece handle readily formed from a sheet metal blank, which when formed includes the body portion of the handle together with means for hingedly attaching same to a box or the like for hingedly arranging the handle in inoperative as well as operative positions on said box.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modification may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a lunch kit or box embodying the improvements of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lunch box as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the lunch box of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the handle of this invention attached to the lunchbox with the handle in its carrying position as distinguished from the rest position shown in:

Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the handle, perse, as seen from line 66 on Fig. 4.

Figs. '7 and 8 are respectively enlarged cross sectional views through the handle taken on lines 1'! and 88 on Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of a handle modifled in construction over that in Fig. 1.

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are respectively cross sectional views through the handle on Fig. 9 and taken on lines [0-H], H-H and I2.i2 on said Fig. 9. V

Fig. 13 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 9 showing a further modification of the handle.

Fig. 14 is a cross sectional view taken on line M-M on Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is an elevational view of a further modification in the handle, per se, and illustrating the handle in part in final assembly and in part in. the act of being finally formed.

Fig. 16 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 14 taken on line l6l6 on Fig. 15. p

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to de note the same or similar parts.

The invention is shown in the drawings in connection with and as applied to a lunch kit or lunch box such ,as shown in detail in applicants copending application Serial No. 295,791, filed September 20, 1939, but it is to be understood that the handle and the method of attaching same has equal application to other type of boxes such as tackle boxes, utility boxes, and the like. ,In each of these boxes use is made of a box proper to which is attached a lid or cover which in turn has secured to it the handle and each of these boxes is formed or stamped from sheet metal and any reference in this specification to specific'parts of the illustrated lunch box parts is to be interpreted as meaning the equivalent part in other having the usual bottom, front, back and sides, the upper ends of which are slightly inwardly disposed to be received within the confines of a cover or lid 2|. The box proper and the cover are hingedly connected to one another usually along the top edge of the box back as at 22. In order to hold the cover in a closed position use is made of a latch 23 operable by a push button 24 to disengage same from a slot 25 or other latch co-operating part on the cover 2 I.

The cover 21 has a relatively fiat top portion 26 and is provided with a pair of piercings for providing transversely disposed channels or eyes 21 and 28. Disposed within each of said channels or eyes is one end of a coupling or link 29,

and 30 which have their otherends connected with the handle proper, indicated in general by the reference numeral 3! The coupling or links 29 and 36 are identical in construction and each is formed of a length of wire, the ends of which are bent toward one another as at 32 and 33. Extending from the. said ends are arms 34 and 35, connected to one another by a cross bar 35.

The handle proper, 3.4, is formed of a sheet metal blank into a substantially tubular cross section for thegreater portion of its length as shown clearly in Fig. 7 and thereby providing the body portion with a top 3?, sides 38 and 39 and a bottom 46. The bottom til is formed by the longitudinal sides of the blank which are brought into abutment as at 4%. Theends of the body portion are let open as at as and 43 with these open ends providing in eifect depending arms 44 and 55which a is clearly illustrated in Fig. I, depend below the body portion of the handle and rest on the top 2501 the cover to provide a space 45 between the handle body portion and cover top 25, When the blank, from which the handle is formed, is stamped out, the portions forming the arms 44 and 45 are simultaneously apertured as at 4i and 48 and which apertures are in alignment with one another upon final formation of the handle. It is through the aligned apertures 47 and id that cross bar 36 of the couplings or links 2 8 pass in attaching theha-ndle to the box cover 2].

It is believed the operation of this handle is obvious from the disclosure, particularly from Figs. 1 and the former of which illustrated the handle in. the normal position of resting on top of the cover and With a space 46 therebelow into which thefingers of the user is inserted for raising the handle to the position of Fig. l; With the handle in the position of Fig. i the couplingsor links 28 and 29 are at the inner ends of the elongated apertures 47 and, 45 while when the han: dle is in the raised carrying position of Fig. 4 said couplings or links are at the outer ends of said apertures. The apertures, links and the channels are so co-related to one another. that the handle is at all times parallel with therbox for maintaining the box in this parailel position when being carried.

The modified handle shown in Figs. 9 to 12, in elusive, and indicated by the reference numeral i) instead of being folded or formed fronra blank of sheet metal, is a casting or solid cross section. With this type of handle the under surfacemay very readily be undulated so that thesaid surface conforms with the contour of the hand when holding the handle. These undulations are. pro vided by alternate high spotsor portions. 5!. and low spotsor portions 52 and soarranged that the high portionsfall between the fingers of the hand while the low portions coincide with the tops of the fingers.

The handle 50 beyond the undulated body portion is provided with end depending portions 53 and 54 which correspond with the sides 44 and 45 of the handle above described and serves the same purpose of normally supporting the handle on the box cover. These end portions 53 and 54 are also provided with cast elongated apertures 55 and 55 for the coupling and links 28 and 29.

The modification of the handle in Figs. 13 and 14 is formed of a blank of fiat sheet metal substantially no wider than the width of the handle and only a trifle longer than the efiective length of such handle. This handle 51, similar to handle 5D, is stamped to provide an undulated under surface to conform to the contour of the fingers of the hand when carrying the box. In order to provide means for attaching the handle 51 to the box, each end of the handle is bent on itself and thereby provides an elongated aperture '58. hava base, 59 d. nn r wa l,6@.- Th as 59 serves the function of the ends 53; and 54.o f the handle 5fi-and the arms 4 and 45 of the handle 3 I.

The attachment of the handle 5'! to the box is the same as the attachment of the handle 3! namely by way of coupling or links 25 and 30 whose cross bars 36 extend through the aperures The modified handle of Figs. 15 and 16 indi-, cated by the reference numeral 5! is similar to handle 3! in so far as it is formed of a sheet metal stamping and folded to provide a body portion of tubular cross section. The portion of the handle 6i at the ends of the body portion, however, instead of being formed into arms and 45 are cut short and the ends of the body portion extended as a fiat leaf 62. The inner ends of the leaves 52 are formed as ledges 83 for underlying the portions of the handle adjacent thereto as illustrated in the left hand end of Fig. 15. This leaf 62 when in final position forms, the base 64 of elongated aperture 65 whose upper edge is defined by cutting short the arms Mi and 55. At the same time the base 64 acts similar to the base 59 of Fig l3 and the arms 41% and 55 of Fig. 8 in providing a rest or support for the handle 5! on the top 25 of the cover 2L From the foregoing it will be noted that each of the handles illustratedin this application is formed complete in itself in one stamping and forming operation or else is formed complete in a single. casting operation. In the form or" handle ill-ustratedin Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, the stamping die or blanking die must'at the same time pierce the arms t4 and. 45 in order to provide the couplingattachment means in the handle itself. In the 051161 51166, metal handles ill-ustrated respectively in Figs. 13 to 15 no piercings are required but merely a little additional material at the ends of thebodyportion of the handle and this additional material then folded, in' the same operation as the other folding-- takes-place, onto the body portion to provide the elongated coupling attaching apertures. 7

From the foregoing it will be also noted that the handle and its attaching means has been reduoed to the fewest number of parts, namely, the handle itself and two Coupling or link-members together-with the cover of the box. In. this con nection it must be notedthat the boxcover when being formed or when it is blanked out is.simul. taneously pierced to provide the channels .or eyes 21 and 28 with which is used thesimplestlform of links or couplings, the open ends of which are received in the cover channels or eyes and the closed ends in the handle apertures.

What is claimed is:

In a carrying handle of the class described formed from a blank of sheet metal having elongated apertures for attaching links adjacent the corners thereof bent to form a handle body portion and end supports, in which the metal is .bent to form side portions and a connecting top portion for the handle body portion and end supports, each said side portion between the end supports being bent toward the other to form a bottom member for the body portion of the handle and with each side of the end supports depending beloW the handle body portion in the form of arms for rests for the carrying handle, and with the elongated apertures for attaching links in alignment with one another having their major axes extending toward the middle of the handle.

HERBERT M. PIKER. 

